Breakfast with Louis Vuitton
This past Thursday, Mariana and I were invited to an intimate breakfast hosted by Louis Vuitton’s CEO of North America, Daniel Lalonde. While Mariana made it to the event with a little bit of mingling time to spare, I snuck in just as everyone was being seated (yes, I’m chronically tardy but in my defense, the taxi line by me was maddeningly long). We were part of a group of about 12 bloggers and online writers, elbowing our way to the coffee urn amongst half a dozen very chic (and very awake!) Louis Vuitton representatives. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what to make out of being summoned to the St. Regis at 9am on a Thursday morning, and considering I’ve been known to write some not-so-favorable reviews on Vuitton products here and elsewhere (pretend with me for a moment that the Powers That Be at Vuitton actually read my drivel, yah?), I was a bit intrepid. But as soon as I stepped foot into the library, I was greeted and made to feel welcome immediately. After making clear that Louis Vuitton wanted to hear our opinions and ideas on how to be more accessible to the online community, Daniel Lalonde and Senior Vice President of Marketing Heather Vandenberghe, turned the floor over to us. Some highlights from the meeting:
- Louis Vuitton executives actually do read through all the feedback they get from their customer service center — imagine that!
- The new Journeys ad campaign for Vuitton will star a couple! They were a bit tight lipped on particulars but seem very excited by it. I’m thinking David Bowie and Iman would be perfect. Who do you think will be peering back at us from the glossies for Vuitton?
- A desire to move the company back to its former mystique with an emphasis on tradition was expressed. Whether this is a general Vuitton philosophy or a marketing strategy remains to be seen.
- Some discussion concerning the proliferation of Vuitton replicas. Apparently, part of the desire to keep the authentication features of Vuitton products inaccessible is to foil bootleggers.
- Heather Vandenberghe (in black Louboutin Decoltissimos and toting a Vuitton bag) and Daniel Lalonde (in a pin striped suit with tapered pant legs) both were fantastically chic, elegant and gracious. Did you expect any less?
Upon parting, the Vuitton team expressed their desire to foster the company’s relationship with online media, readers and consumers. Stay tuned for further updates.
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